Card handling device

ABSTRACT

A card handling device is provided comprising a housing having an entrance aperture through which a card can be delivered and an exit aperture from which the card can leave the housing, wherein the exit aperture is located lower than the entrance aperture. A floor member is provided within the housing, onto which a card is delivered after passing through the entrance aperture. The floor member is movable between a first orientation in which it extends towards the exit aperture such that a card can slide along the floor member, under the influence of gravity, towards the exit aperture, and a second orientation in which it extends away from said exit aperture so that in use a card can slide along the floor member under the influence of gravity away from the exit aperture. A control system is also provided for controlling movement of the floor member between the first orientation and the second orientation.

The present invention relates to card handling devices and carddispensers. An example application of the invention is to provide ameans for controlling the movement of contactless cards issued from acassette within a card dispenser, to allow for communication with thecard to occur and to provide a subsequent means of physical control.

Card handling devices are integrated within card dispensers, such asthose incorporated into ticket vending/issuing machines provided atparking lots, public transport stations, laundrettes and shops. Thesevending machines issue cards containing secure elements (such as chipsor magnetic strips) onto which data is encrypted in accordance withselections made by a user purchasing the card from the vending machine.Typical cards issued by these machines include contact cards andcontactless cards (also referred to as smart cards) including forexample prepaid, credit, debit, charge and pay-as-you-go payment cards.

An example of a prior art card handling device 40 distributed by AsahiSeiko (Europe) Limited for use with either contact or contactless cardsis shown by FIG. 12. An input 42 for the device 40 is configured toreceive a card from a cassette (not shown) containing a stack of blankcards. A drive assembly 44 comprising a system of belts and rollersdriven by motors is configured to move a lowermost card from thecassette to a communication module 43, wherein data is encoded onto thecard. In the case of traditional contact cards, it is essential that theterminal of the communication module 43 accurately aligns with the cardcontacts to connect to the secure element of the card wherein data maybe stored. This is achieved through carefully controlled movement of thecard across and into the communication module 43 by the drive assembly44. In the event that the device 40 is configured for use withcontactless cards, an appropriate communication module 43 adapted forcontactless communication is fitted instead. The drive assembly 44 movesa blank card from the input 42 in a first direction through thecommunication module 43. The drive assembly 44 will then reverse itsdirection so as to move the card in a second direction, opposite thefirst direction to position the card for communication to take place.The host control subsequently reads this data back to check that it hasbeen correctly encoded onto the secure element. If the encoded data isnot corrupted (i.e. if the data was correctly encoded), the driveassembly 44 will once again move the card in the first direction fromthe input 42 to the output bezel 41 where it is retrieved by a user. Ifthe data is corrupted, the initial card is captured internally and theprocess may be repeated. The card may then be reinserted at the bezel 41at a later date in order to read or update the data stored on the cardby use of the communication module 43, for example if the user wishes tomake a purchase using the card. In certain applications, particularlytransportation, the card may be issued into a collection tray without aneed or desire to re-insert the card into the issuing machine at a laterdate. The process of dropping a card into a tray helps prevent damage ortampering with the issuing machine through an open bezel. The driveassembly 44 required to perform the above process occupies significantspace within the ticket vending machine and is also prone to mechanicalfailure. It would thus be desirable to provide a new card handlingdevice that overcomes these deficiencies.

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided acard handling device comprising:

-   -   a housing having an entrance aperture through which a card can        be delivered and an exit aperture from which the card can leave        the housing, wherein the exit aperture is located lower than the        entrance aperture;    -   a floor member within the housing and onto which a card is        delivered after passing through the entrance aperture, the floor        member being movable between a first orientation in which it        extends towards the exit aperture such that a card can slide        along the floor member, under the influence of gravity, towards        the exit aperture, and a second orientation in which it extends        away from said exit aperture so that in use a card can slide        along the floor member, under the influence of gravity, away        from the exit aperture; and    -   a control system for controlling movement of the floor member        between the first orientation and the second orientation.

A card handling device is thus provided that has fewer moving parts toit than the prior art apparatus, meaning that the device can bemanufactured more easily and at less expense. Rather than relying onbelts, rollers and motors, movement of a card through the device isinstead driven by the influence of gravity onto the card resting againstthe floor member. This mechanism is less prone to mechanical failure andso improves the reliability of the device. Furthermore, the relativelysimple set-up means that the device takes up less space and is quieterthan previous card handling devices allowing for card vending machinesto be reduced in size. Further still the device can also be very easilyretrofitted to a conventional card dispenser.

A particular benefit is realised wherein the card handling devicefurther comprises a card communication module, wherein said controlsystem is operated in accordance with an output from said cardcommunication module. For example, the control system may be operated inaccordance with an output issued from said card communication moduleindicating that data has been correctly or incorrectly encoded to acard. This card communication module is preferably adapted tocommunicate with the card, so as to read and/or write data onto thecard. The card communication module may communicate with the card eitherthrough known contact or contactless communication techniques. In orderto do this, the card may comprise any of a transmitter, a receiver,contact terminals and signal processing equipment including processorsand memory as necessary.

Although the card handling device could in principle be used withtraditional contact cards (such as Integrated Circuit “IC” cards andcontact cards having magnetic tape onto which data may be stored), it isparticularly well suited for use with contactless cards. In order tofacilitate the use of the card handling device with contactless cards,said communication module is preferably adapted for contactlesscommunication with said card. An additional benefit of the devicebecomes apparent in this instance since, unlike contact cards, it is notnecessary to ensure that an accurate physical contact or alignment isachieved between a terminal of a card communication module and thesecure element of the card. Furthermore, the card does not need to betraversed back and forth through the communication module in order toread from, or write data to, the card. Contactless communication mayinstead occur between the card and the communication module within arange of positions and whilst the card is stationary or not. Thisreduces the horizontal length of the card handling device and createsgreater design freedom. Once issued, the card may be read or encoded ata later date by a separate contactless communication module providedoutside of the device, without the need to be reinserted into the cardhandling device. In the event that the device is intended for use withcontact cards, an appropriate communication module configured forcontact communication with a card may be provided, including a connectorconfigured to connect with a chip or magnetic strip provided on saidcard.

A pre-encoded or blank card containing data or no data as applicable maybe initially provided into the housing of the device through theentrance aperture and allowed to slide along the floor member orientatedat the first orientation until it is within range of the communicationmodule. The communication module is preferably configured to encode dataonto said card, for instance in response to a purchase made by a user ofa vending machine into which the card handling device is incorporated.The card communication module may be further configured to read dataencoded onto said card, e.g. to verify it has been correctly written tothe card. In order for the card communication module to be within rangeof communicating with the card before the card is dispensed, said cardcommunication module is preferably configured to communicate with a cardwhich is located on the floor member. The card communication device maythus communicate with the card, whilst the card is resting against thefloor member. This is preferably achieved by mounting the cardcommunication module adjacent to said floor member, between the entranceand the exit aperture. Alternatively (or in addition to this), said cardcommunication module may be configured to communicate with a card whichprotrudes from the entrance aperture. This may allow the card to comeinto range of the card communication device for communication to occurbefore it comes into contact with the floor member 5, or before it isallowed to slide along said floor member. This is typically achieved bymounting the card communication device adjacent to the entranceaperture. Furthermore a mechanical member may be also provided which isconfigured to hold a card which protrudes from the entrance aperture,wherein said mechanical member is controlled by the control system. Forexample the card may be partially inserted through the entrancedaperture at this stage. Further still, said mechanical member ispreferably further configured to release said card in response to anoutput from the card communication module. This output may indicate, forexample, that the data on the card has been read, a verification processhas been completed, or that the floor member has been moved.

A further benefit is realised wherein the control system is adapted tomove said floor member from the first orientation to the secondorientation in response to an output from the card communication moduleindicating that data encoded onto the card is corrupted. For instance,having encoded data onto a secure element provided on the card andhaving then subsequently read this data, the card communication modulemay compare the monitored card data against source data (which wassupposed to be written onto the card) and determine that an error hadoccurred in the encoding process leading to the data being corrupted. Inthis instance, the floor member is moved to the second orientation sothat the card is dispatched below the floor member, typically to alocation which is not generally accessible to a device user.

In order to retain the card for a sufficient time within the device forcommunication with the card to occur, said exit aperture preferablyfurther comprises a gate, wherein said control system is furtherconfigured to open and close said gate so as to allow or prevent themovement of said card through the exit aperture. The movement of a cardthrough the exit aperture may hence be controlled by opening or closingthe gate, whilst the card is urged against said gate under gravity. Thecontrol system is preferably adapted to open said gate in response to anoutput from the card communication module indicating that data encodedonto the card is not corrupted. This would be the case for instance ifthe card communication module read the data previously encoded onto thecard and verified that it matched the source data which was intended tobe encoded and that no errors occurred during the encoding process. Inthis instance, the gate may be opened by the control system so as toallow the card to slide along the inclined floor member under theinfluence of gravity and out of the housing through the exit aperturewhilst the floor is at the first orientation. The gate is preferablybiased towards a closed position so as to prevent a blank card,containing no encoded data from exiting the device via the exitaperture. The device preferably further comprises a solenoid configuredto open and close said gate under the control of the control system.

Preferably still the apparatus may further comprise a card sensorconfigured to monitor the presence of a card resting against the floormember. The card sensor is preferably in electrical communication withthe control system of the card dispenser and may comprise, for example,an optical sensor. Furthermore, the control system may be configured tomove the floor member either to the first orientation or the secondorientation, and/or actuate the gate, depending on the output from thecard sensor.

Preferably, in the first orientation, the floor member extends fromadjacent the entrance aperture towards the exit aperture such that acard can slide along the floor member, under the influence of gravity,towards the exit aperture. The floor member preferably makes a firstnon-zero angle with the horizontal at said first orientation, whereinsaid first angle is preferably between 30 and 60°, more preferablyaround 45° (for example plus or minus 5°). This orientation allows thecard to slide along the floor member from the entrance aperture towardsthe exit aperture, without the need for a moving drive assemblyincluding, for example, belts, rollers and motors. Preferably in thesecond orientation, the floor member extends below the first orientationso that in use a card can slide along the floor member under theinfluence of gravity away from the exit aperture. Said floor memberpreferably makes a second non-zero angle with the horizontal at saidsecond orientation, wherein said second angle is larger than the saidfirst angle and is preferably between 45 and 90°, more preferably around90° (for example plus or minus 5°). By use of the control system, thedevice may dispatch the card to either of two locations. For instance,the said device may preferably further comprise a bin mounted below saidfloor member; wherein said bin is configured to receive a card from saidfloor member when said floor member is at said second orientation. Thisbin is typically not accessible to a device user, although may be duringmaintenance. Preferably still, said device may further comprise acollection tray mounted lower than said aperture; wherein a saidcollection tray is configured to receive a card from said exit aperture.By contrast, this collection tray may typically be accessible to adevice user. This configuration allows the device to maintain a smallwidth (along the direction of card travel and perpendicular to thedirection of gravity).

In order to achieve movement of the floor member between the firstorientation and a second orientation, said floor member preferablyfurther comprises a pivot provided on its end adjacent to said entranceaperture. Alternatively however the pivot may be provided on theopposing end, adjacent to the exit aperture, however the floor memberwould then need to be moved by a greater angle (in the oppositedirection) in order to slide the card away from the exit aperture.Furthermore, a benefit is provided wherein said control system furthercomprises an actuator configured to move said floor member between thefirst orientation and the second orientation. Said actuator maypreferably comprise a solenoid.

Once a card has been dispatched from the card dispenser, a new card maybe delivered to the entrance aperture from a cassette provided upstreamcomprising a stack of cards. This cassette will only be able to hold afinite number of cards and so, in order to prolong the length of timebetween when a cassette next needs to be replaced, it is known toprovide two cassettes within the dispenser, wherein a second cassette isautomatically mechanically moved to a dispense position to replace afirst cassette that has run out of cards. The process of moving onecassette away from the dispense position and another cassette towardsthe dispense position typically takes considerable time; during which auser will not be able to retrieve a card. Furthermore, a mechanicaldrive assembly comprising a track, belts and a motor is required to moveeach cassette. Alternatively, two independent transport paths withrespective drive assemblies may be provided to transport cards from twostationary cassettes towards a single dispense position. These driveassemblies are prone to mechanical failure and occupies significantspace, increasing the overall size of the card dispenser. It would thusbe desirable to overcome the abovementioned deficiencies in the priorart.

In accordance with the second aspect of the invention there is provideda card dispenser comprising:

-   -   a first card cassette configured to hold a first stack of cards;    -   a first feed device operable to move the end card of the first        stack of cards from the first cassette, through an opening in a        surface of the first cassette, towards a dispense position;    -   a second card cassette configured to hold a second stack of        cards and located upstream of the first cassette; and    -   a second feed device operable to move the end card of the second        stack of cards from the second cassette, through an opening in a        surface of the second cassette, into the first cassette;    -   wherein the first feed device is further operable to move the        end card of the second stack of cards from the first cassette,        through the opening in the surface of the first cassette,        towards the dispense position;    -   the card dispenser further comprising a retractable member        configured to prevent the movement of a card from the first        cassette into the second cassette.

A card dispenser is provided comprising two cassettes for an increasedsupply of cards, wherein it is no longer necessary to move each cassetteitself in order to deliver a card from said cassette to a dispenseposition. The first and the second card cassettes may instead be fixedin their respective positions, with a second feed device being used inconjunction with the first feed device to move a card from the secondcassette towards the dispense position. This reduces the number ofmoving parts thereby leading to an increase in the reliability and adecrease in the size of the apparatus. Furthermore, this has the addedbenefit that it is no longer necessary for a user to wait whilst asecond cartridge is being moved into position, in order to receive acard.

The first feed device may occasionally be reversed in direction (i.e.away from the dispense position), for example to clear a jam whereincards within the first stack have adhered together. It is thereforedesirable for the opening to remain closed when a card is not passingfrom the second cassette to the first cassette so as to not transport acard unnecessarily from the first cassette into the second cassette.This is achieved by the retractable member, which may prevent themovement of a card from the first feed device to the second feed device.

The cards in the first stack are preferably substantially similar to thecards in the second stack. For example, the cards in the first stack maybe identical in thickness, size and type to those in the second stack,such that cards from the second stack may be used in place of those fromthe first stack when the first cartridge is empty. Most typically thecards in both stacks are substantially planar in shape.

The cassettes are preferably vertically arranged and the end card ispreferably the lowermost card; i.e. the end card in the first stack ispreferably the lowermost card in the first stack and the end card in thesecond stack is preferably the lowermost card in the second stack. Wherethis is the case the cassette may be naturally fed towards the first orsecond feed devices by gravity. Alternatively however the cassettes maybe stacked in the opposite direction with a spring being used to movethe uppermost card (which is now the end card) to the respective feeddevice. In principle also the cassettes may be horizontally orientatedinstead with respect to the ground.

It is particularly advantageous wherein the card dispenser furthercomprises a cassette controller, wherein said cassette controller isconfigured to control said first feed device and said second feeddevice. The cassette controller is preferably an electronic controllerand may comprise logic, one or more processors and memory as necessaryin order to control the first feed device and the second feed device(together or independently).

Said retractable member may be configured to be retracted into an openposition in response to a card pressing against said retractable memberand moving in a first direction from the second cassette towards thefirst cassette. The retractable member may form part of the first or thesecond cassettes, the second feed device or alternatively some otherpart of the card dispenser. Preferably however said retractable memberis provided on the opening of the second cassette and is configured toopen and close said opening. The retractable member preferably does notrequire active control by an electronic cassette controller and mayinstead be driven mechanically, for example, by a spring. Saidretractable member is preferably biased towards a closed position,wherein it prevents the movement of a card from the first cassette tothe second cassette, and will remain in said closed position in responseto a card pressing against said retractable member in a seconddirection, opposite to the first direction, from the first cassettetowards the second cassette. This may be achieved, for example whereinsaid retractable member comprises an inclined surface with respect tothe horizontal and the vertical, wherein said retractable member isadapted to move in a non-parallel direction in response to the movementof a card in the second direction against said inclined surface. Saidnon-parallel direction is preferably perpendicular to the direction ofmovement of the card. Alternatively said retractable member may beconfigured to pivot in response to a card being pressed against it.

It is particularly advantageous to provide a sensor configured tomonitor the presence of a card at said first feed device in the firstcassette. The sensor is preferably in electronic communication with thecassette controller. Furthermore, in one advantageous arrangement saidretractable member is a gate configured to be opened and closed by saidcassette controller. For example, the cassette controller may beconfigured to close said gate when a card is detected by the sensor atsaid first feed device so as to prevent movement of a card from thefirst cassette to the second feed cassette. Similarly, said cassettecontroller may be configured to open said gate when a card is notdetected by the sensor at said first feed device so as to allow movementof a card from the second cassette to the first cassette. Alternatively,the gate may be controlled by the cassette controller independently ofthe output from a card sensor.

Preferably, a first transport path is provided for moving a card fromthe first cassette to the dispense position, and a second transport pathis provided for moving a card from the second cassette onto the firsttransport path at the first cassette. Thus, the first and secondtransport paths together in series effectively form a single transportpath along which cards can be conveyed to the dispense position fromeither the first or the second cassette.

The overall size of the card dispenser may most effectively be reducedwherein the card dispenser further comprises a card handling device inaccordance with the first aspect of the invention.

Examples of the present invention will now be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section of an example of a card handlingdevice in accordance with an example of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method for operating a card handling devicein accordance with an example of the invention;

FIGS. 3-6 are illustrations of a card handling device operated inaccordance with the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a card handling device in accordance with afurther example of the invention;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are illustrations of a first example of a card dispenserin use;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a method for operating a card dispenser inaccordance with an example of the invention;

FIG. 11 is an illustration of a second example of a card dispenser; and

FIG. 12 is an illustration of a prior art card handling device.

A cross-sectional view of an example of a card handling device 10 isshown by FIG. 1. A housing 9 is provided onto which several componentsof the device 10 are fixed. The housing 9 has an entrance aperture 2 andan exit aperture 6 provided at the top and the bottom of the device 6respectively, at either ends of a floor member 5 is held at a firstorientation. The floor member 5 is pivotally mounted to the housing atits end adjacent to aperture 2 and makes a first non-zero angle with thehorizontal (typically sea/ground level) when at the first orientation(in this case 45°). In this example the floor member 5 does not extendall the way to the entrance aperture 2 but extends from a surroundingarea adjacent to it. In alternative examples however the floor member 5may abut onto the entrance aperture 2.

Whilst at the first orientation, a card may be inserted into the device10 at the entrance aperture 2 such that it can slide along the floormember 5 towards a gate 11 provided upstream of the exit aperture 6,under the influence of gravity. A solenoid (or alternatively a motor) isprovided within the gate 11 for opening or closing the gate so as toallow or prevent the card from moving through the exit aperture 6. Inthis example the floor member 5 is made of a common plastic, Acrylic orPerspex for example, which may be ribbed to reduce surface contactand/or is coated in a low friction substance such as PTFE or Teflon soas to allow the card to slide freely. In alternative embodiments thefloor member 5 may consist wholly or partly of a set of one or morerollers manufactured, for example, from Delrin to aid sliding.

A card communication module 3, adapted for contactless communicationwith a contactless card (or smart card), is provided adjacent to thefloor member 5. The module 3 is typically parallel to the floor member 5(at its first orientation) and laterally offset from it by between 1 and10 cm. The card communication module 3 comprises suitable known meansfor encoding and reading data to or from a contactless card, includingan antenna, one or more processors and memory.

An actuator 7, comprising a solenoid and a spring mechanism, isconnected between the floor member 5 and housing 9 and is configured tomove the floor member 5 in a clockwise manner about the pivot from thefirst orientation to a second orientation. Whilst at the secondorientation, the floor member 5 extends below the first orientation, sothat in use the card can slide along the floor member 5 away from theexit aperture 6. At its second orientation, the floor member 5 makes asecond non-zero angle, which is larger than the first angle with respectto the horizontal. In this case the second angle is approximately 90°(i.e. vertical).

The solenoids provided within the actuator 7 and the gate 11 arecontrolled by an electrical control system 4 (shown in FIG. 1 only forclarity purposes), which is in communication with the card communicationmodule 3 so as to control the movement of a card within the device 10 inaccordance with an example of the invention to be discussed. Electricalcabling indicating communication between the gate 11, actuator 7, thecommunication module 3 and the control system 4 is shown by the dashedlines in FIG. 1.

A flow diagram illustrating a method for operating the card handlingdevice 10 is shown by FIG. 2 and will be discussed with reference to theillustrations in FIGS. 3-6. At step 101 a user purchases a ticket from aticket vending machine into which the device 10 is incorporated. A‘blank’ contactless card 1 containing no stored data is subsequentlydispatched at step 102 from the bottom of a cassette 12 containing astack of blank cards into the entrance aperture 2 of the device 10, asshown by FIG. 3. This is achieved by suitably controlling a drivemechanism (not shown) in the base of the cassette 12. The card 1comprises an integrated circuit or ‘secure element’ onto which data canbe stored. The card 1 is inserted through the entrance aperture 2 andallowed to slide along the floor member 5, which is held at the firstorientation, under the influence of gravity, until it reaches and restsagainst a closed gate 11 so that the secure element/chip of the card iswithin range of the card communication module 3 (as shown by FIG. 4).The gate 11 is biased towards a closed position to prevent a card 1 fromexiting the device 10 in an undesired state or time, in terms of thecommunication/encoding process, during normal use.

At step 103, data is written onto the card 1 by the card communicationmodule 3 in accordance with a purchase made by the user. This datatransfer is achieved through an electromagnetic interaction between anantenna within the module 3 and the secure element. Once the data hasbeen encoded onto the card 1, this data is then verified by the module 3at the step 104. This process involves reading the data that is writtenonto the card 1 and comparing it against the source data which the cardcommunication module 3 attempted to the card 1.

If the result of the verification process of step 104 indicates that thedata encoded onto the card 1 contains no errors, the card communicationmodule 3 sends an electrical signal to the control system 4 causing itto trigger the solenoid within the gate 11 to open said gate 11 (e.g. byopening a mechanised flap, or in this case by moving a retractablemember shown protruding from the solenoid in the gate 11). This allowsthe card 1 to slide along the floor member 5 and out of the exitaperture 6 under the influence of gravity, as shown by FIG. 5. This isstep 105 a. Once the card 1 has exited the housing 9 by the exitaperture 6, it falls into a collection tray 16 which is laterally offsetfrom the floor member 5 and is lower than said floor member 5. Onceissued it is not necessary to re-insert a contactless card into thedevice 10 (e.g. via a bezel) in order to update the information storedon the card. The contactless card can instead later be touched against asecond contactless card communication module provided on the exterior ofthe vending machine. This is advantageous because by providing analternative means for later reading or updating card data once a cardhas been issued, the exit aperture 6 may remain hidden within thehousing of the ticket vending machine and not exposed to a user. This inturn protects the exit aperture 6 from being tampered with.

If the result of the verification process in step 104 indicates that thedata encoded onto the card 1 contains errors and does not match thesource data which the communication module 3 had intended to write tothe card 1, the card communication module 3 instead outputs a signal tothe control system 4 indicating that the data is corrupted. The controlsystem 4 will then trigger the solenoid in the actuator 7 to drive thefloor member 5 in a clockwise direction to its second orientation asshown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 6. In alternative examples, the floormember 5 is moved by a lesser extent away from the exit aperture 6 sothat it is not vertical, but still makes a larger angle with thehorizontal than it previously did at its first orientation.Alternatively the floor member 5 may be relaxed so as to fall undergravity about the pivot to a second orientation. The floor member 5effectively behaves as a trap door at step 105 b dropping the card 1from the floor member 5 into a bin 14 provided directly below the floormember 5. The bin 14 is separate from the collection tray 16 and isgenerally not accessible to a device user, although may be accessed andemptied during maintenance. This provides a failsafe mechanism toprevent a faulty card from being issued to the device user. Once thecard 1 has been dispatched into the bin 14, the control system 4 causesthe actuator to move the floor member 5 back into its first orientationand steps 102-105 a/b are repeated until a card is dispatched to thecollection tray 16 for the user to collect.

In an alternative example the card which is dispatched at step 102 maycomprise pre-encoded data and the card communication module 3 may beconfigured to read said data at step 103 and not write any data onto thecard. In this case the verification step 104 may comprise checking thepre-encoded data to see whether it has been corrupted, e.g. if it isreadable, or whether the data on the card matches source data retrievedfrom memory.

A further example of a card handling device 10′ is provided in FIG. 7.This example matches the previous examples however the overall depth ofthe card handling device 10′, in the direction of card transport andperpendicular to the direction of gravity, has been reduced by movingthe contactless card communication module 3′ upstream of its previouslocation. In this example the card communication module 3′ is mountedadjacent to the entrance aperture 2′ and is configured to communicatewith a card 1′ which is still at least partially engaged with (i.e.located inside) the entrance aperture 2′. Although the cardcommunication module 3′ is shown here as being mounted to the outside ofthe housing 9′, it may alternatively be mounted to the inside of thehousing 9′.

A card 1′ is dispensed into the card handling device 10′ using theentrance aperture 2′, as before. A mechanical member is provided howeverto control the movement of the card through the entrance aperture 2′. Inone example the mechanical member takes the form of a drive mechanism,such as a motorised belt or roller. This drive mechanism may be providedon the card dispenser or the card handling device 10′, adjacent to theentrance aperture 2′, or alternatively it may form part of the entranceaperture 2′ itself. A card 1′ is held by the drive mechanism withinrange of the card communication module 3′ for contactless communicationto occur. Most typically the card 1′ protrudes from the entranceaperture 2′ at this point and is, for example, only partially dispensedfrom the card dispenser into the device 10′. Data is then read orwritten onto the card and then verified, as before, with the floormember 5′ being moved to the first or second orientation depending onthe outcome of the verification process using the control system of thecard handling device. The control system subsequently sends a signal tothe mechanical member causing it to dispense the card 1′ fully into thehousing 9′, through the entrance aperture 2′.

Alternatively however the card 1′ may be held in position at theentrance aperture 2′ by a mechanical member in the form of an entrancegate. Said entrance gate may comprise one or more retractable membersconfigured to grasp the card 1′ so as to hold it at the entranceaperture, within range of the card communication device 3′ forcontactless communication to occur. Once the verification process hasbeen completed, the entrance gate may release the card 1′ onto the floormember 5′ below, which is either orientated in the first or the secondorientation.

In this example, a card sensor 50′ is provided inside the housing 9′ andconfigured to detect the presence of a card resting against the floormember 5′ orientated at the first orientation. The card sensor 50′ maycomprise an optical sensor, for example, which is in electricalcommunication with the control system of the card dispenser 10′. A gate11′ is provided, as before, for controlling the movement of a card 1′through the exit aperture 6′ under gravity. The control system isconfigured to trigger the gate 11′ to open if a card 1′ is detected bythe card sensor 50′, so as to allow the card 1′ to exit the device 10′.If a card 1′ is not detected, the control system will ensure that thegate 11′ remains closed so as to help prevent tampering of the device10′ by an external user.

It should be immediately apparent by a comparison of FIG. 7 with FIG.3-6 that the depth of the card handling device 10′ is reduced by thisalternative configuration. This is advantageous as it allows the device10′ to be incorporated into smaller card vending machines that occupyless floor space.

In a further advantageous example, the gate 11′ and the card sensor 50′may be removed so as to allow the card to slide uninterrupted along thefloor member 5′ when it has been dispensed from the entrance aperture2′. This is possible since as the floor member 5′ will have already beenmoved to its appropriate orientation depending on the verificationprocess before the card begins to move along the floor member 5′. Thisenables further size and cost reductions, and efficiency enhancements aswill be appreciated.

In a yet alternative example, the card could be dispensed from anentrance aperture onto a horizontal floor member provided beneath (whereit will initially lay stationary). The floor member could then rotated,for example about a central pivot, in either direction so as to slidethe card either towards an exit aperture or away from the exit apertureas before, by the control system thus removing the need for a gatecomponent. In this example the verification process could occur when thecard is protruding from the entrance aperture (as in FIG. 7), or couldoccur whilst the card is lying on the floor member, for example using acard communication module provided on the underside of the floor member.

A cross-sectional view of a first example of a card dispenser 20according to the invention at different stages in use is shown by FIGS.8 and 9. The card dispenser 20 comprises a first vertically orientatedcassette 22 configured to hold a first stack of cards. A second cassette24 is configured to hold a second stack of cards and is located upstreamof the first cassette 22 in a front-to-back manner. The first and secondcassettes 22, 24 are connected to first and second feed devices 27, 57respectively. The first and second feed devices 27, 57 comprise a systemof belts and rollers driven by motors is provided underneath the saidcassettes 22 to move an end card 1, in this case the lowermost card 1,from the a stack in a first direction towards a dispense position 21, orin a second direction (opposite to the first direction) away from saiddispense position 21. Each cassette 22, 24 is connectable to, anddetachable from, the first and second feed devices 27, 57 to enable thefirst and second cards in either cassette to be replaced.

In this example, the card communication module 23 is configured to readand write data to a card 1 by contacting a magnetic strip provided onsaid card at a terminal of the communication module 23. In the eventthat the device is configured for use with an IC contact card, thecommunication module 23 may comprise a landing type connector which isdrawn onto the chip/pads of an IC contact card once said card hasentered the module 23. In alternative examples however, such as thatshown in FIG. 11, the card communication module may be adapted forcontact or contactless communication with applicable cards.

A first sensor 50 is provided within the first feed device 27 at thebase of the first stack for detecting the presence of an end card in thefirst cassette 22. In this example sensor 50 is a depressible leverhowever alternative suitable sensors include through beam or reflectivephoto-electric sensors/light gates and depressible pins. In addition tothis, a second sensor is provided within the second feed device 57 todetect the presence of a card within the second cassette 24. Each sensoris in electrical communication with a cassette controller 29.

An opening 26 is provided in the back surface of the first cassette 22(upstream of the first feed device 27) and the front surface of thesecond cassette 24 to allow a card to pass from the second cassette 24to the first cassette 22. In this example the opening 26 comprises aretractable/depressible member 25 provided on the first cassette 22which is spring biased towards a closed position (wherein the opening isclosed). Alternatively the retractable member 25 may be provided on thefront surface of the second cassette 24. The retractable member 25 has aflat vertical face on its downstream side and an inclined face withrespect to the horizontal/vertical on its upstream side so as to allowthe movement of a card through the opening 26 in a first direction only,from the second cassette 24 to the first cassette 22. This opening 26 isopened when the member 25 retracts upwards (perpendicular to themovement of the card) in response to a card pressing against theinclined surface. In an alternative example the retractable member 25may be provided in the form of a gate which may be opened or closed by amotor or solenoid in response to an electrical output issued from thecassette controller 29. For example, the cassette controller 29 mayclose said gate when a card is detected by the first sensor 50 and openthe gate when a card is not detected by the first sensor 50. A gate maybe harder to manufacture than a spring biased member however it may alsobe more reliable and secure than a spring biased member.

The second feed device 57 is configured to move a lowermost card fromthe second stack in either a first direction towards the aperture 26 (orpotentially in a second direction away from said aperture 26). Thesecond feed device 57 is directed towards, and abuts onto, the firstfeed device 27 so that a card may be transferred from the second stackto the position at which an end card from the first cassette 22 wouldtypically sit. A single or common transport path is hence provided bythe combination of the first feed device 27 and the second feed device57 for moving an end card from the first 22 and second cassettes 24towards a dispense position 21. The first feed device 27 and second feeddevice 57 are controlled by the cassette controller 29, which is also inelectrical communication with the card communication module 23 and thefirst and second sensors, as shown by the dashed communication lines. Inthe example where a gate is provided, this gate may be opened or closedby the cassette controller 29, depending on which feed device 27, 57 isbeing used.

A method for operating the card dispenser 20 will now be discussed withreference to the flow chart of FIG. 10. At step 201, a user purchases ofa card from the ticket vending machine. At step 202, the cassettecontroller 29 checks the output from a first sensor 50 to determine if acard is present within the first cassette 22 at the first feed device27.

If a card 1 is detected at the base of the first cassette 22 (as shownby FIG. 8), the first feed device 27 is activated by the cassettecontroller 29 so as to move the end card 1, which is substantiallyplanar, in a first direction at step 203 a through opening 28 and thecard communication module 23 towards the dispense position 21.Alternatively, in the event that a card is not detected by the firstsensor 50, i.e. if the first cassette is empty, the cassette controlleractivates the first and second feed devices 27, 57 at step 203 b.Movement of the second feed device 57 drives a lowermost card 1″ in thesecond stack in a first direction towards the inclined surface of theretractable member 25. Movement of the card 1″ against said inclinedsurface causes the member 25 to lift such that the card 1″ istransported from the second cassette 24 to the first cassette 22 throughthe opening 26, where it is subsequently carried by the first feeddevice 27. This is step 203 b and is shown by FIG. 9. The opening 26automatically closes once the card 1″ has passed through the opening 26due to the force of a spring pressing against the retractable member 25.

At step 204, data is ‘read only’ or written onto the card 1,1″ by thecard communication module 23 in accordance with the user's purchase.Once data has been encoded onto the card 1 and the card 1 has passedthrough the communication module 23, in the event that the card 1includes a magnetic strip, the cassette controller 29 may issue a signalto the first feed device at step 205 causing it to reverse direction, soas to move the card 1 in a second direction opposite to the firstdirection, back through the communication module 23. The data encodedonto the card 1 is then read by the module 23 and checked against thesource data to see if it is corrupted. It is advantageous for theopening to remain closed whilst the card 1 is moving in the seconddirection so as to prevent any cards in the first cassette 22 from beingtransferred into the second cassette 24. This is also true in the eventthat the direction of the first feed device is reversed to clear a cardjam that has occurred, for example due to cards within the first stackhaving adhered together. In this example this is achieved by ensuringthat the surface of the retractable member 25 that is configured toengage with a card inside the first cassette 22 is perpendicular to thesecond direction of movement. In the cross section of FIGS. 8 and 9 thisshown as a flat vertical surface.

Provided that the data has not been corrupted, the communication module23 will issue a signal to the cassette controller 29 causing it to againactivate the first feed device 27 in the first direction so as todispense the card 1 from the bezel 21 in the first direction. If thedata is corrupted, the card 1 may be dispensed to an internal captureregion (not shown). Optionally, an end card may be automatically movedfrom the second cassette 24 into the first cassette 22 so as to self‘prime’ the first cassette 22 if the sensor 50 indicates that the firstcassette 22 is empty, each time a card is issued or captured from thecommunication position.

A cross-sectional illustration of a second example of a card dispenseris shown by FIG. 11. This example is similar to the previous examplehowever the first 32 and second cassettes 33 are configured to feed acard into a card handling device 30 in accordance with an example of theinvention previously described with reference to FIG. 1. The dispenseposition in this case could be considered as the entrance aperture tothe device 30. The combination of these two concepts is particularlyadvantageous as it allows for a relatively small card dispenser to bebuilt with a high reliability and wherein a user does not have to waitfor cartridges of cards to be refilled or moved into position in orderto purchase a card from the dispenser.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A card dispenser comprising: a first cardcassette having a back surface with an opening and a front surface withan opening, the first card cassette holding a first stack of cards, eachcard in the first stack being substantially planar; a first feed deviceoperable to move an end card of the first stack of cards from the firstcassette, in a first direction through the opening in the front surfaceof the first cassette, towards a dispense position, while the remainingcards in the first stack are held within the first cassette; a secondcard cassette having a front surface with an opening, the second cardcassette holding a second stack of cards and located upstream of thefirst cassette, each card in the second stack being substantiallyplanar; and a second feed device operable to move an end card of thesecond stack of cards from the second cassette in the first direction,through the opening in the front surface of the second cassette and theopening in the back surface of the first cassette, into the firstcassette when the first cassette is empty and while the remaining cardsof the second stack are held with the second cassette; the first cardcassette and the second card cassette being connectable to, anddetachable from, the first and second feed devices respectively; thefirst feed device being further operable to move the end card of thesecond stack of cards from the first cassette in the first direction,through the opening in the front surface of the first cassette, towardsthe dispense position; and a retractable member configured to preventmovement of a card in a second direction, opposite to the firstdirection, from the first cassette into the second cassette, theretractable member configured to be retracted into an open position inresponse to a card pressing against the retractable member and moving inthe first direction from the second cassette towards the first cassette.2. A card dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the cassettes arevertically arranged and wherein the end card of the first stack of cardsand the end card of the second stack of cards is the lowermost card. 3.A card dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a sensorconfigured to monitor the presence of an end card in the first cassette.4. A card dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the retractable memberis provided on the opening of the back surface of the first cassette orthe front surface of the second cassette for opening and closing therespective opening.
 5. A card dispenser according to claim 3, furthercomprising a cassette controller, wherein the cassette controller isconfigured to control the first feed device and the second feed deviceand automatically move the end card from the second cassette into thefirst cassette if the sensor indicates the first cassette is empty.
 6. Acard dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the retractable membercomprises an inclined surface with respect to a horizontal and avertical, wherein the retractable member is adapted to move in anon-parallel direction in response to the movement of a card against theinclined surface.
 7. A card dispenser according to claim 1, wherein theretractable member is biased towards a closed position, wherein itprevents the movement of an end card from the first cassette to thesecond cassette, and will remain in the closed configuration in responseto an end card pressing against the retractable member in a seconddirection from the first cassette towards the second cassette.
 8. A carddispenser according to claim 1, wherein a first transport path isprovided for moving an end card from the first cassette to the dispenseposition, and a second transport path is provided for moving an end cardfrom the second cassette onto the first transport path at the firstcassette.
 9. A card dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the firstand second feed devices each comprise a belt driven by a motor.
 10. Acard dispenser comprising: a first card cassette configured to hold afirst stack of cards; a first feed device operable to move an end cardof the first stack of cards from the first cassette, through an openingin a surface of the first cassette, towards a dispense position; asecond card cassette configured to hold a second stack of cards locatedupstream of the first cassette; a second feed device operable to move anend card of the second stack of cards from the second cassette, throughan opening in a surface of the second cassette, into the first cassette;a sensor configured to monitor the presence of the end card in the firstcassette; a cassette controller configured to control the first feeddevice and the second feed device, and operate the second feed device toautomatically move the end card from the second stack into the firstcassette if the sensor indicates that the first cassette is empty; thefirst feed device being further operable to move the end card of thesecond stack of cards from the first cassette, through the opening inthe surface of the first cassette, towards the dispense position; and aretractable member configured to prevent the movement of an end cardfrom the first cassette into the second cassette, the retractable memberconfigured to be retracted into an open position in response to an endcard pressing against the retractable member and moving from the secondcassette towards the first cassette.